MONTEREY, Calif. – A humpback whale entangled in fishing gear was successfully disentangled Tuesday afternoon by a response team from the California Whale Rescue (CWR) network about 4 miles west of Carmel Highlands.

The adult humpback whale was first reported mid-Tuesday morning off Point Pinos, by a commercial crab fisherman, who stayed with the whale until the response team arrived.

Fisherman Calder Deyerle and his 5-year old son, Miles, immediately reported the distressed whale. Miles insisted they stay with the whale until a response team arrived because, as he said, "saving an injured animal is more important."

Evaluation by the response team determined the entanglement involved heavy line from a crab pot system wrapped around both sides of the whale’s flukes. Entanglements of this kind can lead to eventual amputation of the flukes, and possible death of the animal.

Underwater photo of humpback whale with line wrapped around tail flukes.

A telemetry buoy to track the whale by satellite was attached to the line for relocation of the animal in case the disentanglement effort continued the following day.

The team was able to thoroughly assess the entanglement and cut the whale free less than seven hours after the whale had initially been reported.

The team captured identifying fluke and dorsal fin photographs and retrieved the fishing gear that had entangled the whale.

California Whale Rescue would like to extend its sincerest thanks to fisherman Calder Deyerle and his 5-year old son, Miles, who immediately reported the distressed whale. Miles insisted they stay with the whale until a response team arrived because, as he said, "saving an injured animal is more important." Their willingness to stand by was vital to the success of this event.